What Does An Insurance Adjuster Do?
If you ever find yourself having to file an insurance claim, it is probably a stressful time in your life. It is usually never a good situation when you have to reach out to your insurance company. You pay for insurance, hoping you will never have to use it.
In the event something happens, you may need to file a claim, and it would be helpful if you knew what to expect. Continue reading this article to find out more details about an insurance adjuster.
An insurance adjuster is also referred to as a claims adjuster. Regardless of what title they use, their job functions are the same.
An insurance adjuster can handle various claims that may include structural damage, personal injury claims, or damage to the property of a third party.
The insurance adjuster will talk to you, interview all witnesses, research any records, including medical records, and inspect any property that may be involved.
What Role Do They Play?
Insurance adjusters have an important role to play when it comes to insurance claims.
It is no secret that an insurance adjuster will attempt to get the person that filed the claim to take less money than they should.
On the surface, it may seem cut and dry, but it is not always. Adjusters may work on any type of claim, but their primary duties remain the same. They thoroughly investigate the allegations made by studying the damage and review all reports, including those from the police. The individual who made a claim is interviewed, as well as any witnesses, to determine the pertinent facts of the case. After a full investigation, the adjuster should be able to make a determination about the liability of the insurance company.
Types of Insurance Claims Adjuster
There are different types of insurance claims adjusters. They have different roles based on their different positions.
Public Adjuster
Works for the policyholder. A public adjuster works with businesses or individuals to file claims if the settlement does not seem fair to the insurance company. These are often contract employees.
Stuff Adjuster
Is someone who works full time for a specific firm for one insurance company. These positions are typically salary and benefits from the firm. These benefits include pension, training, and health insurance. When someone is a staff adjuster, that person handles only one type of claim. These are usually auto insurance claims.
Independent Adjuster
Typically functions as a contractor for many different firms or other third party. This type of contractor works with claims that are catastrophic. These individuals travel to an area where there are areas of impact after emergencies or major weather concerns.
How Claims Are Settled?
An insurance adjuster’s job performance is based on several factors. These factors include how quickly the case was settled and how little the settlement was. Many adjusters have 50 to 100 new claims each month. They must clear and close claims to have them settled.
The adjusters also have the goal of settling cases without having to involve lawyers or managers.
When you and the adjuster can discuss the value of the claim and both have an understanding of the amount, the claim will move quickly. When you negotiate with the adjuster, you find how much this person knows about your particular case or issue. You probably know more about the case because you were the one involved with the accident or incident. It may be helpful to you if you reach out to the adjuster and talk through the details of the case. If you remain organized, detailed, and understand the process, you can help yourself with negotiations.
Ways Your Claim Can Be Adjusted
When you interact with your adjuster, it can happen in one of two ways.
Over the Phone
In Person
You can interact with an adjuster over the phone. In these cases, you can handle the entire process over the phone. These are usually smaller cases like minor damage to your home. This provides you faster service.
You can also interact with your adjuster in person. These are usually more complex claims that require analysis of the site to get a deeper look into what happened. The adjuster will take videos or pictures to document what they saw. There will be an official report documenting what the adjuster saw and the amount of loss.
How Are Adjusters Trained?
Depending on the state in which the adjuster lives and works, they need to complete a course and pass a licensing exam. This training will allow them to become an insurance claims adjuster. Each state has a minimum requirement that may not include the exam, while some states require it.
How Do I Prepare?
The best way to prepare for your claim is to read and understand your policy. Your insurance document is a contract between you and the insurance company about the amount of coverage you have, the exact details of what is covered, and how you will be compensated. It is essential that you review this insurance document. It will describe the steps you should take to claim a loss against your insurance policy. It is important that you understand precisely what coverage you have under your policy.
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Where Can I Find Additional Help?
Insurance can be tricky to understand. You always want to make sure you know the details of any policy that you are signing. If you want more help with insurance and policies, visit the Goalry Mall. We have a large number of resources that can help you find the answers you need.
If you cannot easily find the answers yourself, we have someone that can assist you. Do not allow yourself to be confused about your coverage. If you understand all the details of your policy, you can make sure that you are getting everything to which you are entitled.
Conclusion
Insurance is something we all have and never want to use. We pay premiums to protect us in the event of an accident or some other event. However, we hope that we never have to file a claim. Many of us believe that filing a claim will only cause our rates to increase. Find out the truth about your policy and what protections it provides you. You want to make sure that you have all the coverage you need and can easily create a claim if you ever need to do so.